Field notes from the Canadian border.
Practical playbooks and case studies from our brokers. No thought-leadership fluff — just the stuff we wish every importer knew before they called us in a panic.
Customs Tariff Canada: CBSA Tightens Low-Value Ecommerce Enforcement
Canadian customs tariff enforcement on low-value ecommerce shipments is tightening. CBSA is closing loopholes on de minimis thresholds, and CARM is changing how these CADs get filed. Canadian importers using direct-to-consumer fulfillment need to understand HS classification, duty collection, and what happens when volumes cross the courier threshold.
Read article →Declaration for Canada Customs: What Northern Infrastructure Upgrades Mean for Arctic Imports
The federal government's $49.5M investment in Inuvik Airport infrastructure will affect how Canadian customs brokers file declarations for Canada customs on northern air routes. Here's what changes for importers shipping to Arctic communities.
Read article →Vehicle Import Broker: What CBSA Clearance Actually Costs
A vehicle import broker handles CBSA Form 1, Transport Canada RIV registration, and CAD filing for cars crossing into Canada. Most importers underestimate the compliance steps between the border and provincial registration.
Read article →Asian Freight Volatility Hits Canadian Importers: What Toronto Customs Brokers Are Doing About It
Intra-Asia shipping rates jumped 7-8% in early August on bunker price spikes and Middle East tension. For Canadian importers sourcing from Shanghai, Mumbai, or Dubai, that freight volatility flows straight through to landed cost. A Toronto customs broker can't control ocean rates, but we can stabilize the duty and compliance side while your freight costs swing.
Read article →CARM Register Obligations When Air Freight Routes Shift: What Mexican Aviation Scrutiny Means for Canadian Importers
The FAA's renewed scrutiny of Mexican aviation safety could reshape air freight routing into Canada. For importers moving goods through Mexican carriers or airfreight gateways, understanding when and how to CARM register as a business importer or NRI is critical to maintaining clearance speed and avoiding AMPS penalties.
Read article →Supply Chain Disruption and Import Duties in Canada: What Changes When Routing Won't Sit Still
A new DP World survey finds 95% of retail supply chain leaders now call disruption critical. For Canadian importers, that instability has a direct cost: rushed supplier switches and mode changes break CUSMA origin claims, trigger HS reclassification, and turn import duties in Canada into a moving target. Here's what we see brokers catching after the scramble.
Read article →B.C. Trade Support Fund: What Your Import Customs Broker Should Tell You
Ottawa's $30.5 million B.C. trade disruption fund targets export development, but Canadian importers working with an import customs broker face new CARM compliance costs the fund doesn't cover. Here's what changed and what didn't.
Read article →CABC Tariff Report Lands: What the CUSMA Review Means for Your CAD Filings
The Canadian American Business Council's new report on tariff escalation scenarios under CUSMA puts numbers on what Canadian importers already feel: uncertainty costs money. We break down what the review period ahead means for origin claims, RPP bond sizing, and your landed cost assumptions.
Read article →CFIA Maintenance Windows and the OGD Release Trap
CFIA's scheduled network maintenance is a routine notice most importers ignore. If your clearance needs an OGD release and the portal's down, that container isn't moving. Here's how to plan around it.
Read article →Energy Efficiency Compliance Just Changed Hands — What Importers Need to Know
Energy efficiency regulatory authority moved from NRCan to ECCC on July 30, 2026. The compliance rules haven't changed, but importers of regulated products need to know where to go for rulings, updates, and the open Amendment 19 consultation.
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